Influential Woman · Technology

Tejaswi Neelapu

Business Analyst - WW Grocery Stores Sustainability, Amazon

Seattle, WA

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering Degree India Degree Graduated June 2022 Degree Master's in Data Science Degree Seattle University Degree Seattle Degree Graduated June 2025

Her Story

About Tejaswi

My career path has been quite a journey of discovery and transformation. I started with a bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering back in India because I wanted to be a pilot. But at the end of my bachelor's, I got a job and got into IT, and that's where I was introduced to data science. My original plan was to work in IT for a year or two and then go back to flying school, but things changed. Because I came from mechanical engineering and was working in IT, it wasn't very clear for me what I should be learning or where I should even start, so I decided to move to the US for my master's. I pursued a Master's in Data Science from Seattle University and graduated in June 2025. During my master's, I got to intern at a company called GenMap as a data analytics intern, and that's when I really understood the impactful work happening within this area and field. Now I'm at Amazon as a business analyst, where I can really do some impactful work in terms of sustainability and other areas. In my role, my key responsibilities include interacting with my subject matter experts on a daily basis and understanding what requirements they need in terms of data. If there are two different sites trying to combine information, that's where I come in. I provide detailed analysis on sustainability, waste fields, and different areas so that teams can make decisions based on the data. If they want to put their efforts in some place or use them in a different place based on previous data, I help guide those decisions. I also do different reportings for different fields and teams.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Tejaswi

01What do you attribute your success to?

I attribute my success to feeling challenged in my work. If I feel challenged, not on a daily basis, but if there are new challenges that are coming up in work, and I feel like there is still room for me to improve in that particular role, that's something that drives me. It's about continuously having opportunities to grow and develop rather than staying stagnant.

02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

The best career advice I've ever received is to be super sure about what you want in your career, rather than choosing your field based on what others say or what others are pursuing. When I was in my master's in data science, people would say they want to be a data scientist or do this or that, but I think being very clear with your intentions is crucial. You need to know in which field you want to be a data scientist, or a business analyst, or whatever role you're pursuing. Taking your own decisions rather than following somebody else's career path is one of the best pieces of advice I've heard.

03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

My advice to young women entering this industry is to always keep going. I know for women, at least when I was in mechanical engineering, it is super challenging, and you feel like you're overshadowed by your male peers. But always keep going, and never let any stupid comments from people affect you. You know, a few people tend to say how you should be doing this or you don't do that. Just follow your dreams and your thoughts rather than seeking advice from someone who are not in the position that they should be. Stay true to yourself and don't let others discourage you from pursuing what you want.

04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

I think AI is both a challenge and a major opportunity in business analysis right now. With AI, you can do your job much better and in a faster way, where you can help more than five experts at once, rather than if you weren't using AI, you could only do two things at a time. So that's one of the major best points. When it comes to challenges, if you're using multiple AIs and you have two different answers, you'd be confused. But being able to gather data and then understand what worked previously and what didn't work, and then trying to compare your results always to the previous ones, would be really helpful in navigating those challenges.

Keep Exploring